Buartnut (Juglans x bisbyi)
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Perennial (hardy)
- Exposure
- Full sun
- Frost limit
- −34.4 °C
Cultivation
Requires a deep well-drained loam and a sunny position sheltered from strong winds. Plants produce a deep taproot and they are intolerant of root disturbance. Flower initiation depends upon suitable conditions in the previous summer. Any pruning should only be carried out in late summer to early autumn or when the plant is fully dormant otherwise wounds will bleed profusely and this will severely weaken the tree. Trees have a dense canopy which tends to reduce plant growth below them. We have no specific information for this species, but the roots of several members of this genus produce substances that are toxic to many plant species, especially apples (Malus species), members of the Ericaceae, Potentilla spp and the white pines (certain Pinus spp.). The leaves of many species also secrete substances that have an inhibitory affect on plants growing underneath them. All in all this is not a very good companion plant[K]. A hybrid, J. cinerea x J. ailanthifolia cordiformis, it is sometimes cultivated for its edible seed, there are some named varieties.
Propagation
The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in individual deep pots in a cold frame. You need to protect it from mice, birds, squirrels etc. The seed usually germinates in late winter or the spring. Plant out the seedlings into their permanent positions in early summer and give some protection from the cold for their first winter or two. The seed can also be stored in cool moist conditions (such s the salad compartment of a fridge) over the winter and sown in early spring but it may then require a period of cold stratification before it will germinate. This is a hybrid species and so it might not breed true from seed.
Edible uses
Seed - raw. An edible oil is obtained from the seed, it tends to go rancid quickly.
Material uses
Plants produce chemicals which can inhibit the growth of other plants. These chemicals are dissolved out of the leaves when it rains and are washed down to the ground below, reducing the growth of plants under the tree.
Habitat
Not known in the wild.
Native range
A hybrid of garden origin, J. cinerea x J. ailanthifolia cordiformis.